Seaside Caffè Dolce
by FeatheredMask
Summary: Two islands. Two Mafias. Two people able to nullify abilities. Mori is delighted to find someone with another ability to keep Corruption in check and under control. Felicità isn't sure how a trip to reaffirm old trade agreements turned into a frightening mess as her attendant is targeted, leaving her having to trust an organization outside of the Family.
1. Due Famiglie

"Our contact said she'd be waiting for us here. She should have received the message that our flight arrived early," Luca said as they entered the baggage claim.

Japanese scrolled across the signs hanging from the ceiling, announcing the time and various directions for the different parts of the airport. The cold liminal architecture couched the building in an alien atmosphere. The air had a strange taste to it after 12 hours in the sky. Tourists, vacationers returning home, and people traveling on business alike milled around the area on restless jelly legs, bags under their eyes as they waited for their luggage.

Felicità dropped into a hard plastic seat with a sigh. "I'll take it as a chance to rest," she said, closing her eyes against the bright lights and temporal atmosphere of the airport. "How long have we been traveling? It feels like a week."

Luca chuckled, taking a seat beside her. He kept a smile on his face, but there was a weariness to his eyes from the long trip. "Four days by boat to the mainland, then half a day of flying across Europe and Asia. It's definitely a rough flight."

"I can't believe Dante got out of this and left us to go on this trip by ourselves. And on our first flight ever, too."

"He's making us break a mainland Family rule and he knows it," Luca sighed. "He should be here to introduce us to our Japanese contact. At least Papa didn't make us take Jolly instead. I don't know how I would have managed with him around you so much."

Felicità hummed in agreement. "I still have to pick a new adviser..." As the new boss of the Arcana Famiglia, her father's chief adviser had expected to become her new chief adviser. That had yet to be formalized, however, on account of Jolly's mere presence being a source of stress for Luca. But she had to admit; that man was creepy.

Luca suddenly tensed beside her, jumping up. Felicità opened her eyes to watch him haul their bags off a conveyor belt, peoples' luggage finally rolling out. Always helpful, even when she knew he was probably just as exhausted as her.

Sleep had been hard to catch on the plane, and every time she looked to him, he had his nose in a Japanese language book or his eyes glued to the small movie playing in front of their seats, Japanese subtitles trailing the bottom of the screen. He might have had the right idea - all the Japanese chatter around here was overwhelming, starting to give her a headache.

Felicità swept her gaze over the baggage claim, and then blinked, realizing something was amiss. She sat up, looking back to the exit.

A woman in an extravagant red-pink Japanese kimono strode into the area, her hair pinned up in red silk flowers. Two men dressed all in black flanked her, reminding her of the Family's stark dress code back home. But the red-pink fashion of the woman's garb didn't fit the dark dealings of those associated with the Mafia. Pink was meant to be a positive colour, but here, it offset the black uneasily. Red dotted her lips and eyes like painted blood.

Those red-dotted eyes met Felicità's, then narrowed. Her smile didn't match, and she covered it with an elegant draping sleeve. The woman advanced, and Felicità couldn't tear her eyes away, suddenly very aware that they hadn't been able to travel with their knives and the absence of them at her thigh.

Before she could reach for her ability as a second line of defense, Luca was there - and so was the woman. Luca stood between them, ready to handle the threat as best he could without his knives.

"Arcana Felicità," the woman started, the Japanese accent coating her name. Her tone was light, almost playful, dragging out vowels to twist them with her tongue like a snake. "You remind me of your mother when she was young."

Felicità didn't take the bait. She met the woman's stare with a gaze of her own. "You know my name. So you're the new contact. Why don't you introduce yourself?"

"Yes. Unfortunate that our mutual contact couldn't come with you to introduce you to the boss," she said, not batting an eye. She didn't glance to Luca standing steadfast at Felicità's side. "My name is Ozaki Kouyou."

Felicità was about to introduce Luca, but as she opened her mouth, Kouyou interrupted her, "Do you have all your luggage? We have a car waiting outside for you."

Felicità nodded, closing her mouth. It would probably be better to save talk for a less public area.

She glanced around as they followed Kouyou and her escort, noticing they had already attracted some attention. She had gotten too used to being loved and respected on Regalo after being introduced to the townspeople; but here, the local Family worked underground, supported only by a minority. The Arcana Famiglia was only one branch of the Italian Mafia; the Japanese Mafia did things very differently.

Only the family mattered. She had to keep that in mind. She was deep in foreign territory here, surrounded by outsiders to the Family. Outsiders to Regalo and their way of life. Anyone could be an enemy.

But, watching as Luca gestured for her to enter the black limo first, Felicità had to smile. She wasn't alone here.

Luca sat beside her. Across from them, Kouyou finally levelled her gaze at him. Felicità took advantage of the moment. "Ozaki Kouyou, this is Arcana Luca."

Kouyou nodded, her gaze unflinching. Sizing him up. Felicità didn't offer Luca's status in this situation. She would wait. Let that remain an air of mystery, even if it wasn't much of one in reality. Let her think there was something unexpected.

Kouyou moved her sleeve, uncovering a small case she had slid into her lap. "I expected you would feel more comfortable with something to arm yourself with," she said, voice teasing, and Felicità couldn't tell if she was being honest or making fun of them. "Customs can be so finicky."

She popped open the case, revealing two switchblades. They weren't designed as throwing knives, but Felicità carefully took them from the case. She looked over them, watching the blade _snikt_ out and then slide into hiding again. "They'll do. Thank you," she said, handing them to Luca.

He slipped them into his jacket without hesitation, and the fluid action was not missed by the watchful eyes of their contact.

"We reserved rooms at a nearby hotel for you. After hearing Dante-san wasn't coming, we only booked a two-bedroom for you and your bodyguard."

"That's fine," Felicità said, not about to comment on the assumption that Luca was her bodyguard. She could hold her own - but in this strange territory, she considered the benefits of letting the Port Mafia believe that. Luca stayed quiet.

Kouyou opened her mouth, then closed it. Instead, she smiled. "Of course. We'll let you take the day to rest and enjoy the sights Yokohama has to offer. I'd like to extend an invitation to dinner tonight."

And that was when the two Mafia bosses would meet. Felicità nodded. "Thank you. It has been a long day," she agreed.

* * *

Once Kouyou's escort left, Felicità collapsed on one of the beds. She didn't bother comparing the two bedrooms in the hotel room, just lying on the first bed she saw. The past hour had been tense, and she felt that in her muscles. She slowly breathed out the tension, bit by bit.

"Milady?"

"Hm?" She turned her head to Luca, looking over from where she was sinking into the foam of the mattress. "Sorry, I'm just tired. I can't believe we're so far away from Regalo." So far away from family and everyone she cared about.

Luca smiled softly at her response. "Ah, but this is where your mother used to live before she came to Regalo. Think of it as connecting with that side of your heritage."

Felicità didn't respond, watching Luca check over their luggage. Kouyou's escort had insisted on carrying them, and Luca struggled to maintain composure as their possessions were handled.

"Take a nap, Milady," he said now. "I'll wake you when it's time to eat."

Felicità nodded and let her eyes flutter closed in the strange hotel atmosphere and bright lights. It wasn't long before those dimmed, and she heard Luca pull the curtains closed.

* * *

_Author's Note_

Decided to cross-post this from Ao3. I post pretty much all my fics over there now (under the same pen name).

This fic takes place sometime after the ending of the Arcana Famiglia manga, but doesn't really have a solid spot in BSD's timeline.

I hope you enjoy it!


	2. Due Misteri

**Chapter content**: Here in this chapter we have Atsushi, Kunikida, Luca, and Fel, with some death threats, implication of stalking, and mistaken identity.

* * *

Atsushi glanced up from the piece of paper in his hand, stopping in his tracks to search around for a street name. Street signs pockmarked the corners of buildings and roads, but none that matched the street he was looking for. A landmark might have been helpful, but the paper gave no hints about where this place was besides an apartment number and street name. While Kunikida had impeccable handwriting and organization, he had no idea what most of the shorthand on this meant.

That was about as much information as he'd been given; Dazai had swiped the folder while Atsushi got Kunikida's handwritten note on the case. Swamped with other work, Kunikida had rushed him out the door before he could ask any questions, and then when he turned around, Dazai had disappeared as well.

So here he was, trying to get there on his own with some vague tips off a bus route map. Dazai had probably gone for the location using another path. A better path. The correct path.

Atsushi sighed, looking at nearby shop signs and ads plastered over windows. "I don't recognize this part of the city…"

If only Dazai's last phone hadn't gone dead after a little trip to the bottom of the river. Then he might have been able to call and ask for directions to wherever he'd vanished to. He sighed in defeat, his shoulders slumping. "I think I'm lost."

Atsushi started to turn around, deciding to try finding his way back to the office, before a flash of black caught his eyes, passing by. He looked over, following the man who had caught his attention.

"Dazai-san?" The black suit was out of the ordinary, but he was the right height, and that curly hair-

Atsushi started walking again, lagging behind the pair with some distance between them as he wondered what Dazai was doing in such fancy getup, and with a girl he didn't recognize, as well. The two wore almost matching clothes. The girl's skirt was definitely too short for any sort of formal appointment, while Dazai's looked... expensive. Atsushi was sure he must have rented or talked that out of someone, because the salary they had at the Agency wasn't enough to cover that and Dazai's meal habits.

He was sure he would have recognized someone with such bright, fire-red hair. Something in the back of his mind suggested that she was part of the Port Mafia, but he dismissed that idea; Dazai did his best to stay out of that business. Their relations with the Port Mafia and illegal activities brushing up against the law- they were strained, to say the least.

"Luca, _sei silenzioso_."

He thought he wasn't close enough to hear their conversation until he realized it wasn't the sound of the city muffling their words. They were speaking another language. A Western language, if he recognized it right.

"_Non guarda adesso, ma c'è qualcuno chi ci segua_."

The girl glanced back, and Atsushi quickly looked away from her narrowed eyes. Caught. They knew he was following them now. Hopefully he hadn't just screwed up something for Dazai.

"_Se lui è un ladro, non è bravo a discrezione_."

"_Mi occuperò di lui._"

When he glanced to the pair again, another face glared at him. Not Dazai; just a man that looked like his coworker from behind, a flat-top hat in his hands. He put the hat on, turning around as the girl stopped. She didn't move, watching the scene unfold with something of a smile.

Atsushi realized quickly that the man didn't just want to have a calm, reasonable conversation. However, he realized too late to move fast enough, and the man grabbed him roughly by the arm.

"Hey- um, I'm sure this is just a misunderstanding-"

The man swiftly dragged him into a dark alley. Atsushi struggled in his grip, unsure about all of this and what the man planned to do. And the two dressed in such smart, formal fashion - what had he gotten himself into? Atsushi pulled on the tiger's strength, and briefly felt fur sprout and his features turn more feral.

Then it all disappeared.

"La Temperanza," the man said, shooting Atsushi a curious look; something else in that foreign tongue Atsushi didn't understand.

Before he could say anything, he thrust Atsushi into the wall and he saw the flash of the knife before it was pressed against his throat.

"Touch her and die," the man he had thought was Dazai said in rough Japanese. The threat was quick, short and sweet with no room to misunderstand.

Atsushi nodded. "Y-yeah, of course! I just thought you were someone else, I swear!"

The knife lingered for a moment, and then moved, and Atsushi felt he could breathe again. The other man stepped back, his suit barely wrinkled. Those hard purple eyes disappeared under the brim of his hat. The man walked swiftly out of the alley.

Atsushi slumped down the grimy wall, staring at where the alley opened to the street. That man definitely wasn't Dazai, but the ability was certainly the same.

Atsushi nearly jumped out of his skin when his phone rang. He scrambled to get it out of his pocket, and flipped it open. For a long moment, he sat there, letting the real Dazai's voice wash over him.

"-and Kunikida-kun is always so- ….eh? Atsushi-kun, are you there? Helloooooo, Atsushi-kun~!"

"...yeah, I'm here. Sorry about that, Dazai-san."

* * *

The city of Yokohama was a world of new experiences and sights for Felicità, but when they walked into a small bar, the smell of coffee was as deep and rich as the smells back home.

She chose an empty table by the window, slipping into the booth. Luca placed her shopping bags on the table before heading to the counter to order drinks.

Felicità stared out the window for a moment, taking in the casual flow of the people and traffic outside and pulled a small box out of one of the bags. She picked at the tape and pried it open to get the sleek device out, and then she turned her new phone on. To her relief, it gave her the choice to set it up in Italian. As much confidence as she had in her Japanese, it was nice to not have to think too hard on this foreign device. At least until she was a little more used to communicating outside of her native language.

Luca soon returned with their drinks and pastries, balancing it all on a plate. Despite the glances from the barista behind the counter, terrified of the potential fate of the bar's ceramic plates and mugs, he handled them fine and the barista visibly exhaled a sigh of relief when Luca put them down without incident. Felicità couldn't help but smile as she lifted her drink, feeling a flutter in her heart as a swell of pride in her attendant.

"Are you enjoying yourself, milady?"

Felicità set her new phone aside, the screen pulsing as it loaded for the first time. "After the flight and a nap, yes, I think I am," she said. "It's so different from Regalo here. Do you think home would be more like Japan if the Family didn't keep Regalo so isolated?"

"It would definitely be different," Luca considered, "but the Family would still be there. It would certainly be a lot of work for you if we loosened restrictions on foreign imports and tourism."

"That's true. Japan is busier than Regalo. There's still the sea and coffee, but I think home is a lot calmer." Felicità laughed. "Japan feels so cool and futuristic."

"Well, milady, what do you think of futuristic coffee?"

"It's great! It has a different subtle flavor to it than I'm used to."

"Is it? I'll have to ask what blend they use, then."

"_Scusa_."

Their conversation was interrupted by a man in glasses, a notebook tucked under his arm. "Sorry, but did I hear you two are from Regalo?" His Italian was hesitant, dipping into the language with care.

The two exchanged a glance. "We are," Felicità answered. "We're on vacation right now."

"I have to say, you're the first Italian voice we've heard all day besides each other," Luca commented, gesturing for the man to join them at the table. "Where did you learn Italian?"

"It started with Latin in school and it went from there," the man explained, sitting down across the table from Felicità. He placed his notebook on the table. Felicità wasn't the best with written Japanese, so she filed that kanji away in her mind to look up later. "My name is Doppo Kunikida. What brings you two to Japan? I read that Regalo limits travel out of and into the island."

Felicità nodded and took another sip of her coffee, letting Luca be the social one even as she followed the conversation.

"I'm Luca, and this is my fiancée, Felicità. We're on vacation before our wedding back in Regalo."

Kunikida's eyes widened. "You're getting married? Congratulations!"

Luca smiled. "It's nice here in Japan. But busier than what we're used to," he said, echoing Felicità's earlier sentiments.

"I can imagine," Kunikida said. His Japanese accent was thick, but the Italian was refreshing to Felicità's ears. She tried a bite of the cake Luca had picked out for her. "Regalo is controlled by the Arcana Mafia family, isn't it? To be so cut off from the rest of the world…"

Luca laughed. "We still have the internet and plenty of tourism. Phones are a little expensive, though." Hence Felicità's new toy. She would finish setting it up and play with it later. "Are you thinking of visiting Regalo sometime?"

"I would love to visit," Kunikida said. "It would be an amazing experience. I've read some about it, and it sounds like a historical reenactment. But they don't allow anyone with _abilità_ on the island."

Luca nearly dropped his mug.

Felicità put her fork on her plate, sitting up a little straighter.

Kunikida looked between them. "_Abilità_ is the right word, isn't it?"

Luca nodded. "It is…"

"You're an ability user?" Felicità asked.

"...yes," Kunikida said, his smile falling as well as his eyes.

Felicità couldn't help herself, reaching for her power. Gli Amanti answered immediately. She had to know his thoughts, fearing what menacing power this man could have.

"I work upstairs, actually-"

Kunikida's voice faded away and a shout of other voices filled Felicità's mind. Answer, fear, screaming… and gunshots. They drowned out the sounds of the bar and she could see Luca shooting her worried glances.

All she could hear, though, were Japanese voices, going too fast and laughing over each other too much for her to understand more than snatches. But a clear thought cut through the chaos, speaking straight from a deep affection-

"All of them just want to help people."

Felicità blinked, and the buzz of the bar came back to her ears as if she'd been underwater and just come to the surface. Luca's voice, clear as day, pulled her back fully to reality.

"We've never met any ability users before, actually," Luca admitted, tugging at one of his gloves in almost a nervous twitch. If she had been lost in her power for a few seconds more, she had no doubt he would have put a stop to that. "And your office is just upstairs…? Sorry if we offended you. This is our first time outside of Regalo."

"I understand. Abilities can be scary sometimes. But we're not all scary people." Kunikida nodded, and picked up his notebook again and stood. "I should be getting back to work, if you'll excuse me. And please, don't hesitate to stop by while you're in Yokohama."

With a few goodbyes, he left the two alone at the table.

Luca glanced to Felicità, and immediately relaxed at seeing she was more alert. He took a bite of his tart before commenting, "He was nice. Don't you think so, milady?"

"He is." Felicità stared at the door Kunikida had disappeared behind. "What was he saying about his work? I think I reacted too quickly. His heart took me off guard."

"He works in an office upstairs for something called the Armed Detective Agency," Luca supplied, adjusting his gloves. "It's a private detective firm made up of almost entirely ability users."

"That's different. I can't believe we just met an ability user outside of the Family."

"Abilities are useful, especially in our line of work. The Port Mafia no doubt has more than a few of them, and we shouldn't go in prepared. We already know their boss is one."

Felicità nodded. "We'll just have to be on our guard tonight."

* * *

_Author's Notes_

Did you scroll down here for translations? They're just talking about how Luca noticed a cutpurse is following them.


	3. Dimmi delli Coltelli

Felicità could feel the stares fall on her as they entered the restaurant. Politeness covered mouths and turned eyes away. At least her short skirt was more in fashion here than it was on the reserved island of Regalo, even if odd for formal five-star places like this. In Japan, it was her long red hair that attracted attention. She knew how to ignore them, but that didn't stop her from looking around as Luca checked their reservation.

"This way, Milady."

Felicità and Luca followed the hostess through the romantic lighting of the restaurant, weaving around the tables to reach one in particular, Kouyou and a man already seated there. He put down his menu as they approached, as if only just noticing them.

The two stood up as the Italians approached the table. "Glad you could make it," Kouyou commented, although everyone there knew the phrase was formality. "Arcana-sama, this is Mori Ougai. Ougai-dono, this is Arcana Felicità and Arcana Luca."

"Arcana-dono, Arcana-san," the boss of the Port Mafia greeted, his smile stretching wide, and he gestured for them to join him at the table. "It's wonderful to finally meet you. When I received word that your father had fallen ill, well, you can imagine how worried I was. And when he appointed a new head so soon after that... things like that make you think about your own mortality, really."

"He's doing much better these days," Felicità replied cordially as she took a seat, her eyes darting around while keeping an air of professionalism. "I'm getting married in a few months. He's overjoyed."

"Congratulations."

The restaurant had a fairly full house this night. Men and women dressed up, from semi-formal to muted formal, what looked like maybe a few teens, and a young girl seated not too far away, her outfit making her look more like a doll than a real child out for a rich dinner with her parents. No other kids. The people with food picked at it or talked over it, but she saw nobody enthusiastic about their meal.

Luca ordered a red while she went with plain water, and they both shared a knowing glance. The Port Mafia had bought out the restaurant for the night. Even the hostess couldn't be ruled out. They were surrounded.

"I believe you've come to discuss business," Mori said as the hostess walked away.

"This is all a formality." Felicità got right to the point, focusing her attention on the man across the table. "The deals you had with my father will stay the same, with a few exceptions."

"And what would those be?"

"A few updates to what is being imported, as it has been some time since those deals were put in place," she explained. "Regalo needs to catch up to the rest of the world, and while introducing everything all at once would be a disaster, I believe you can pull some strings in that department."

A server returned with their drinks. Luca took a sip of the water, paused - swishing it in his mouth before swallowing - and then he handed the glass to her, having deemed it free of poison. He sipped his wine. Felicità took her glass, but didn't drink. Mori's eyes flicked between them. Calculating.

More leaned back in his seat. "Of course, what does my side get out of the deal?" he asked. "There's money, obviously, out of the whole operation, and the strings you pull for us in the Italian market…"

That hadn't been explicitly mentioned, but went along with the deal; the Arcana Famiglia would do their part to keep the Italian side of the network of smuggling businesses safe and well. They communicated with mainland Italian Mafiosi much easier than the yakuza did, by virtue of location, although the invention of faster planes and technology had made that less of an issue.

"But since I have you here in front of me, what can you offer?"

The little girl at the nearby table giggled.

Felicità knew it was dangerous, but asked anyway, "What do you propose?"

"I want you."

Luca tensed beside her, and she grabbed his hand under the table.

"Now, don't mistake my intentions," Mori said, as if it was simply a matter of phrasing lost in translation. "I'd just like to see your ability for myself. You see, I heard that you have the ability to heal others. The one you used to save your father's life."

Felicità squeezed Luca's hand to keep him quiet. She would handle this.

"I have a subordinate with a lung condition. It weakens him, and I fear it's killing him," he explained, a whimsical tone to his voice, not actually concerned. "It's incurable… or so it seems. If you could heal his condition, I'd be very grateful. I would even agree to the changes to our trade agreement without hesitation."

But it wouldn't stop there. She knew the Port Mafia wouldn't be content with just letting her go back to Regalo if they saw she had this healing power. This one little request was a test to see if the rumours were real. Those rumours had spread out of Regalo and across the world to people who really shouldn't know.

Luca spoke up, "Milady, if you're really considering it, I offer my-"

"Luca. Quiet." She turned to Mori, pushing back her chair as she stood up. "Your subordinate. He's here, isn't he? I can't promise anything, but I'll see what I can do."

Mori smiled and gestured to another table. "Akutagawa. Come here. Let Arcana-dono take a look at you."

A pale young man came forward to stand beside the table. His hair hung limp and frayed around his face, his black coat well-worn. He stared at her with dark eyes and a sour expression.

"Luca," she started, grabbing his hand, pulling specifically at the glove a bit so he'd get the message. They expected ability users. This could be one of them. "Hold him in place." They didn't want him trying anything.

Luca pulled off his gloves, putting them in his pocket. He circled around the younger man, and put his hands on the man's shoulders, anchoring him to that spot.

Felicità approached the young man, her mind racing on how to do this. Mori and Kouyou watched closely, their eyes boring into her, and she was sure other eyes were on her as well. She took a deep breath.

She met Akutagawa's eyes, then looked him up and down. She circled around Luca and Akutagawa with a hand to her chin, looking over the sickly guy as if looking at something in particular.

"Take off your jacket," she said. Immediately there was hesitation. Her eyes went to Mori. "You bought out the restaurant. Didn't you, Ougai-dono?"

Akutagawa glanced back to Mori, who nodded. Luca moved his hands slightly to allow Akutagawa to remove his long jacket, but he still had some trouble before it fell to pool on the floor.

Felicità pointed to her neck. "That thing, too." She didn't know how to say cravat in Japanese. Her books hadn't covered that kind of clothing accessory.

With a glare that held a hint of constrained panic, Akutagawa removed that as well. Kouyou covered her expression with her sleeve. Mori was entranced in whatever she was doing.

Felicità focused on her work. Pretending to be analysing something to do with this man's health. After a moment, she placed her hand on his chest and closed her eyes. Calling on Gli Amanti, she looked into his heart. Even if her shirt hid the glow of her Arcana mark on her chest, maybe they would see her using an ability and believe she was attempting to heal him.

Panic hit her. Akutagawa's thought were a jumbled mess, struggling to understand why he couldn't use his ability. Murderous intent cut through the chaos, directed at the two of them. Felicità was glad Luca was there holding him by the shoulders. That much provided some reassurance that no ability was about to spear her through the stomach.

Felicità pulled back her hand, opening her eyes. She sighed as the world fell quiet, to the dull hum of the restaurant.

"I can't heal him," she said, stepping back from Akutagawa, keeping her voice steady. "Like you said, it seems like it's incurable."

"So it seems…" Mori made a hand gesture, and Akutagawa gathered his clothes up before slinking over to the wall. Now identified, he didn't care to return to his table.

Luca took his place beside her again. Felicità kept her eyes on Mori, but he had to be on high alert. They needed to be careful; she now knew they planned to attack the two of them before the end of his meeting. This endeavour no longer felt so neutral.

Mori sighed, breaking the tension. "I guess it can't be helped. Instead, would you be willing, Arcana-dono, to give Arcana-san over to the Port Mafia?"

Felicità's eyes widened at the unexpected request. "I'm sorry, but he's not for sale."

"Why not? I'm sure I could come up with a price for your bodyguard there," Mori said with a chuckle.

It was then that Felicità realised that the restaurant had fallen silent. A tilt of Mori's head, and Port Mafia members stood up in a quiet wave spanning across the restaurant, no person left seated, metal glinting in the low lights.

"Or, the trade agreements could be called off completely and I take your bodyguard anyway," he threatened, offering it like a suggestion.

Felicità pulled out her gifted knife. "Why do you want Luca?"

"After that display, I thought that would've been obvious. His ability to neutralise other abilities would be indispensable in my organisation. But I'll spare the details. I can see you're not interested in haggling."

They got no more warning than that. Luca must have seen something before her, because he tackled her to the floor. In seconds, attackers were on them, eager to be praised by their boss.

Luca took on the initial wave of attackers, working defence as she got to her feet. Once he spotted her grabbing an extra knife off a table, he took the offensive, slashing for debilitating points.

Felicità fended off the ones that came at her trying to snipe at her weak points. Unconventional weapons came for her, a few boosted with abilities she didn't want to find out about. She hesitated to put as much murderous intent behind her fighting style as Luca was going for.

But these people weren't of Regalo, she had to remind herself. It was just her and Luca, defending themselves against people outside of their jurisdiction. Either they went down, or they took Luca. She saw the guns holstered on the people running at them, fists flying and blades in their hands; they were aiming to take them alive, even if the cuts they left stung and were just inches from being serious.

She dived down to take cover from something flying through the air. A blast echoed on the other side of the room where it had landed, and shouts in the restaurant protested someone's plan to blow her up outright. Tables shook from the blast, and something fell to the floor, shattering and splashing her. She flinched, thinking it another attack, but realised it was just Luca's glass of wine. How a trip to reaffirm old trade agreements had turned into a disaster so quickly was a mystery, and she was afraid that it would soon turn into a murder mystery if they didn't find an escape soon.

When they knocked down one attacker, another ran into the fray to try their hand at subduing the two. Something black and sharp came flying towards where she hid under the table, and Luca snatched it out of the air with his bare hand. It turned into limp cloth. An ability.

"_Milady, you need to get out of here_," Luca told her in Italian.

It looked like they had a moment to breathe, and Felicità wasted no time getting back into a fighting stance. They kept their eyes on the Port Mafia members. Kouyou watched from the crowd, a soft smile on her blood-red lips, her flowing kimono making her seem like she had walked straight out of a dream.

Mori and that little girl had disappeared when the fighting started. That eased Felicità's mind a little, that the young girl hadn't stuck around.

"_Not without you_."

"_It's me they want. Get out, get safe. Call the Family. You're the boss and the woman I love. I can't let you stay and fight any longer_."

Still, Felicità hesitated. She could handle herself. Luca was always protecting her over the years. This was her turn to protect him.

Felicità ducked under another thrown - was that a lemon? - and turned around to make her thoughts known to him-

-in time to see Luca fall to the floor, having taken a chair to the head.

"Luca!" She rushed to his side, but a black curtain sliced in front of her, making her stumble back. The young man in the black coat and cravat, his being almost seeming to glow red, stood there in the way as the black melted into his coat, now spiked with black tendrils like blades threatening to come for her.

She raised her blade and silver knife, ready to defend herself. Akutagawa took a step forward, and despite her resolution, she took one step back.

Luca lied motionless on the ground, his hat a few feet farther away, eyes closed. Just a few steps out of her reach, but Akutagawa stood like a wall between them.

She shouted out when someone stepped over to haul him up, but they didn't pause. As Luca was removed, grins spread over the remaining faces. Coloured glows added to the atmosphere as deadlier abilities activated.

Felicità swallowed, but kept her ground. Without Luca to cancel out abilities, they could come at her without pulling any punches. She wasn't sure if they were still going to let her stay alive. Those grins didn't promise anything but pain.

Steadying herself, Felicità swept her gaze over the slowly approaching Port Mafia members, all waiting to see what she would do now without her precious bodyguard.

She bolted for the door.

The PM were no amateurs; two men blocked her way, something sly dripping from their lips. She didn't try to translate it.

She jumped on a chair, then a table. Taking the high ground, she would have taken that advantage to throw her knives - but she had just one and had to keep an iron grip on it. She didn't go for the windows. Instead, she dashed into the kitchen and snagged a sharp knife on her way, leaving her stolen table cutlery behind.

The cooks screamed. Obviously, they weren't part of the Port Mafia's overwhelming presence overtaking the restaurant. The real enemies followed her into the kitchen, but she found nobody in her way out the back door, and burst out into an alley.

Felicità dashed past the fragrant restaurant dumpster for the crowds of the street. She promptly got herself lost in the crowds, trusting no one as she ran as fast as she could, swerving through and around pedestrians. People protested, alarmed and upset with her pace, but it was a small price to pay to get away.

When she felt the adrenaline fading, leaving her legs feeling like jelly, Felicità finally slowed. It looked like she had put enough distance between her and the restaurant, and the ever-busy Japanese city had large throngs of people in the streets even at this late hour. She leaned against a store window, letting herself catch her breath.

After a moment, she pried her fingers off the knives and tucked them away in her jacket, something wet staining her shirt. How long had she clutched them? She must have looked like a madwoman, sprinting with weapons in hand.

When her mind stopped whirling and her legs felt steady enough to support her, she looked around, realising that this area of the city was familiar. In fact, staring at the kanji on the windows behind her, she was leaning against the small cosy bar she and Luca had stopped at earlier that day. She still had the phone she had bought that day in her pocket.

Her hands shook, but she could still type in the numbers to call home. Regalo. She couldn't remember the time difference between the two countries, and she sighed in relief when somebody picked up. But the voice that answered her put her back on edge.

"...Jolly. This is Felicità, I bought a phone here. I- I need help, Jolly." She took a deep breath, the image of Luca lying on the restaurant floor at the forefront of her mind. "Can you get Dante?"

"He's not here right now," Jolly replied. "What happened? You sound shaken up."

"Luca was kidnapped."

There was silence on the other end of the line for a moment. Then Jolly chuckled. "So he got himself in some trouble. Good luck with that one. I wouldn't worry about him so much."

"Jolly-!"

"Come back home, princess. Don't run into any danger on account of him."

_Click. _

Felicità redialled the number, but nobody picked up after that. Jolly was probably gone, leaving the phone ringing in an empty room. She sighed, frustrated, and hit the back of her head on the wall. "I can't believe this…"

She stared out at the street, watching lights burn on in the late evening. Luca, kidnapped by people she had thought were her allies, and miles away from home, from where nobody was going to send reassurance.

Felicità brushed a tear from her face. She was in over her head here. But she couldn't just stand there idly, even if she knew she had outrun the Port Mafia. For now, at least. She took a deep breath and went inside the bar.

The chime and smell was just as comforting as it had been this morning, but it wasn't as buzzing. The time for coffee had passed, and a few patrons drank at the bar while others ate a quiet dinner.

Felicita stepped in feeling oddly alone and out of place. Back in Regalo, Fukurota was a constant companion, and Luca was always never far away, ready to wait on her hand and foot at a moments' notice. That dynamic of him acting as her attendant had changed slightly with their engagement, but she was still trying to break him of those habits to take time for himself. Luca had been by her side in Japan since the moment they stepped off the plane.

But tonight, she sat at a table alone, her hands trembling. She hid them under the table, out of sight, smoothing down her skirt.

She sat there, staring at the table. Plans came sluggishly, dragged through the molasses that was her thoughts of Luca, tinged with fear and sadness. She had to get Luca, somehow. He had been a part of her life for so long, and she still wanted him to allow himself to feel his emotions for her, to not be so temperate and restrained. She almost didn't hear the girl standing there with a notepad, asking her a question.

"What? Oh, sorry." Felicità found herself staring at the girl. A ginger like herself, which was a rarity in Japan. From her outfit, it looked like she worked here. "What did you say?"

The girl pursed her lips, eyeing Felicità. "Well, I was asking if you were okay, but I think you should head upstairs instead. Go to the Armed Detective Agency. They're just upstairs. They'll help you."

"The Armed Detective Agency…?" Felicità stared, the name sounding familiar.

"They do a lot of charity cases, so don't worry about money. Tell them Lucy sent you."

The girl walked away, leaving Felicità to her thoughts. She couldn't go back to the hotel. The Port Mafia had booked that hotel room for them; that was as good holding the keys above her head. That was no longer a safe refuge, but booking an early flight out of the country was out of the question. Jolly had been clear that no help was coming, but she had to get Luca back somehow. She couldn't just leave Japan without him. He couldn't do everything himself.

She looked around and stared at the door swinging open at the end of the bar, leading to a set of stairs. After a moment, she made her decision, getting up from the table and walking that way. She went through the door, letting it shut behind her, the sounds of the bar shutting to a muffle. She took the stairs one step at a time. Everything had happened so fast.

The Agency, surprisingly, was clearly labelled on an office door, as mundane as any rented office space above a restaurant can be. The name made her imagine something a little more dangerous.

She hesitated at the door. These were ability users; outlawed on Regalo unless they had a tarot contract. But she couldn't go to the police with this… so she knocked. Money could smooth anything over if things didn't go well with this private agency. After hearing someone call out in reply, she stepped inside.

Two girls sat at a desk, apparently having been looking at something on a laptop together. Their casual peace was swiftly disrupted by Felicità's arrival. One of the girls screamed at the sight of her. The other girl was quick to jump up and say, "Okay, calm down! We have a doctor here. I'll go get her. Naomi will answer any questions you have."

"What- Haruno! Don't leave me-"

But the brown-haired girl ran to another door despite the panicked protest, already on her way.

Felicità stared, puzzled by the reactions. She had to look down at herself before it clicked. She suddenly understood. As well as why the girl in the restaurant had sent her up here. She clutched the switch blade in her hand and a dark red stain covered her chest. The wine was still damp, but she had barely noticed, and it looked like blood in the office lighting. Those reactions, in hindsight, were perfectly reasonable.

"No, I'm fine! This is wine, not blood," she burst out when Haruno returned with someone - a doctor, presumably - fast behind her. "I was attacked, but I'm not hurt." Aside from a few cuts where blades had nicked her.

That slowed them, bringing the three women to a stop. Both Naomi and Haruno breathed identical sighs of relief.

That didn't stop the resident doctor from marching up to her with a more convincing analytic stare than Felicità had given Akutagawa earlier. She leaned in, examining the stain spread over her shirt and the smell that lingered on her.

"...that's alcohol, all right," she finally said. "And you said you were attacked? How long ago?"

"I- ten minutes ago, I think?"

The woman guided Felicità deeper into the office. Before she could take in other faces she saw, a few scattered persons through the place, the doctor sat her down in a chair in a small room set up like a clinic.

The doctor closed the door, blocking out the curious faces. "My name is Yosano Akiko," she introduced herself. "You're in shock, so just sit tight for a few minutes. I'll take care of you."

Felicità stared as Yosano moved around the room to pick up a few small supplies before returning to her side.

"Can you take off your top? I need to bandage those cuts," Yosano said, taking her time.

Felicità tensed at the idea, and looked down at the lines that went through her sleeves. They were small cuts, inconsequential compared to what Luca was probably going through. "My fiancé was kidnapped," she blurted out.

Yosano paused. "We can talk about that. But can you let me tend to you first? It'll be easier to explain once you've calmed down a little."

After some hesitation, Felicità reluctantly took off her jacket and shirt. Yosano began tending to her injuries, cleaning and bandaging the wounds, and the words started tumbling out of her mouth, recounting the encounter with the Port Mafia. She left out the part that they were from Regalo and the Arcana Family, leaving those details rather vague. The detail that the Port Mafia obviously valued Luca's ability another that she left out.

Instead of letting her put her stained shirt back on, Yosano gave her a soft clean yukata to wear.

"Stay here," Yosano instructed. "I'll be right back. I'll have to talk to my colleagues about it, but I have a feeling they won't turn down your case."

Felicità nodded and watched the door. It opened briefly for a small girl to peek in, her outfit striking Felicità as a red version of Kouyou's kimono. Then the door closed again.

The next time the door opened, it still wasn't Yosano. In stepped Kunikida, the man from earlier in the bar.

"Felicità," he greeted with surprise, but his eyes hardened with something she couldn't tell between sadness and anger. He closed the door, a notebook and pen in hand. "Arcana, I presume?"

Felicità nodded. There was no point in hiding it any longer.

Kunikida pulled a chair over so he could sit and face her. He cleared his throat before switching to Italian. "I'm sorry about your fiancé. But I promise that I don't hold anything against you and that we're going to get him back."

Felicità stared at him. Then, slowly, she said, "Thank you."

"Okay. I just need to ask a few questions, just to get a good idea of things. You're welcome to stay the night, if that will make you feel more comfortable."

* * *

_Author's Notes_

So many characters made an appearance in this one chapter, and somehow I've made it work.

The _-dono_ and _-sama_ were a little confusing at first for me. Kouyou uses _-dono_ with Mori in canon. Both _-sama_ and _-dono_ are honorifics of respect, but _-dono_ is more like showing respect while also acknowledging that they are equals, so Fel gets _-sama_ from Kouyou (bc she's deferring to Fel as a family boss while she's basically Mori's right hand) and the -_dono_ tag from Mori, while Luca, perceived as also part of the family but not as Fel's fiance, is given -san. The _-dono_ is also apparently mostly used in business settings in today's Japan.


End file.
